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Strict water saving measures urged in food industry

Key players in South Africa’s food industry have been urged to implement strict water saving measures to address the country’s impending water deficit that is threatening food security and produce.

Water recycling

The appeal comes from Gareth Lloyd-Jones, managing director of Ecowize – the hygiene and sanitation company servicing the food sector.

In a report compiled by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) last year, it was said that there have been repeated warnings that SA faces a water supply crisis. Furthermore the report stated that SA’s freshwater resources will be fully depleted by 2030 and unable to meet the needs of people, industry and its neighbours if people continue to exploit their water resources by following a “business as usual” approach.

“This report highlights the critical need for food producers and manufacturers to realise the magnitude of this crisis and take responsibility and make concerted efforts to prevent water wastage often caused by, pipe bursts and water leaks and unscheduled use of water,” said Lloyd-Jones.

He said other simple and cost-effective water-saving disciplines included having a water recycling system in place whereby used water is drained through a filtration process to rid all solids and then put through a chemical intervention to make it suitable and fit to use back into plant facilities. He says that this water can then be used to wash areas down such as drive ways.